Author 




Title 



Imprint. 



16 — 47372-2 OPO 





"It might be at twenty 
mintites past eleven^ and 
it might be at twenty 
minutes past twelve; we 
ain't got no watches here 
to know the time by,** 




THE STATEMENTS 
OF TIME ON JULY I 
AT GETTYSBURG PA. 

J863 



An Examination of the Official Reports 
by Jame^ Beale late of 12th Mass. Infantry 
2d Brigade 2d Division 1st Corps 
Army of the Potomac 



ONE HUNDRED COPIES 

PRIVATELY PRINTED 



JAMES BEALE PRINTER 
No. 719 Sansom Street Philadelphia Pa. 

J897 



^."Si-/^' 



OF CQfiQkl 




t.^-] 






The Statements of Time 



on July I 1863 



at Gettysburg Pa* 



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HE official report of 
General Meade, dated 
October I, 1863, drew 
from General Robin- 
son* on November J 5 
an indignant protest, to which, how- 
ever, no attention seems to have been 
paid. Since that time historians have 
arranged matters as best suited their 
individual preferences, one or two facts 
alone standing unchallenged. 

It is agreed on all sides that General 
Buford's cavalry t opened the battle 
by engaging the Confederate infantry 
division of General Heth.+ 

On the Union side three of the par- 
ticipants made reports in which the 
hour of beginning the battle is stated. 

General Buford^ says ^between 
eight and nine"; Colonel Gamble ^ 
and Lieutenant Calef i say "about 
eight.'' 

Captain Dana*^ quotes from his 
diary **a. little after sunrise"; Prof. 
Bates *t says "a little before ten." 



* 2d Division 1st Ojrps. 



t Jst Div. Cavalry Corps. 



t Third Corps Army of 
Northern Virginia. 



? 1st Brig. 1st Division. 
II A, 2d U.S. Artillery. 

** 8th Illinois Cavalry. 

*t^ Battk of Gettysbure; ** 
page X, 



* '^ History QvilWar,^ 
vol. iii, p. 59, 
t ** Twelve Decisive 

Battles," p. 328. 
t"LifeofR.E.Lee," 

p. 299. 
? ^TheGvaWarin 
America," vol. iii, p. 546. 



II 9th N. Y. Cavalry 
quoted in ** Battles and 
Leaders of the Qvil War,' 
voL iii, p. 275. 



** Co. F, 9th N.Y. Cav. 

*t 8th Illinois Cavah-y. 
quoted from Philadelphia 
*^ Weekly Times." 



Lossing* says **3. little past ten;" 
Swintont says "at ten;*' John Esten 
Cooke i ''about ten;'* and the Comte 
de Parish avers that at "about eight 
o'clock** the cavalry opened fire, and 
the artillery fire commenced "a little 
before nine o*cIock/* 

So out of the five historians quoted, 
four evidently ignored the statements 
made in the official reports, and the 
fifth accepts with modification. 

The official map "published by au- 
thority of the Hon. the Secretary of 
War, 1876,** at a spot one-eighth of a 
mile west of Herr*s Tavern on the 
Chambersburg road, and one and 
three-quarters miles from Gettysburg, 
locates Marye*s Artillery with the le- 
gend "opening guns of the battle;** 
yet Captain Newel Cheney H says that 
"about five-thirty a.m.,** "from behind 
the abutments of the bridge** across 
Willoughby Run, Corporal Alphonse 
Hodges** fired "the first shots from 
our side.** Lieutenant M. E. Jones *^ 
is also credited with firing the first 
shot "a little after sunrise** from the 
vicinity of the Chambersburg road. 

On July 1 the sun rises at twenty- 
five minutes past four, and here are 
statements differing from a little after 



sunrise to a little past ten ; a variation 
of at least five hours. 

Cutler^s brigade* seems to have 
been the first infantry on the ground, 
it was closely followed by Meredith^s 
brigade.^ 

Six reports from the First Division 
mention the hour of arrival. One + 
says ^* about nine^^; three ^ say ^^ about 
ten"; one'i says ^* about ten-thirty"; 
one** says ** at eleven"; and General 
Cutler* "moved from camp early." 

Captain Hall/^ who accompanied 
the division, says " at nine a. m." he 
marched. 

General Hancock** quotes from a 
letter written by Lieutenant Jerome*^ : 

^^As early as seven a.m. I reported 
their (the Confederate) advance, and 
took my station in the steeple of the 
Theological Seminary. . . I called 
the attention of the General (Buford) 
to an army corps advancing some two 
miles distant, and shortly distinguished 
it as the First, on account of their 
corps flag." 

Mr. E. B. Garison, who was one 
of General Buford's scouts, quotes his 
note-book, " the first infantry was on 
the ground at nine-fifteen a.m." 



2d Brig. Jst Div. 

1st Gjrps. 



t 1st Brig. 1st Div. 

1st Corps. 

t Col. Morrow, 24th Mich. 

I Brig.-Gen. Wadsworth. 

1st Div. 1st Corps. 
Maj. Mansfield, 2d Wis. 
CoL Robinson, 7th "Wis. 

II Capt. Cook, 76th N.Y. 
* CoL Hofmann, 56th Pa. 

1 2d Me. Battery. 



*J" Galaxy," Dec. J876, 

page 827. 

?. Signal officer with the 

Jst Div. Cavalry Corps. 



* Then on staff of Gen. 
J. F. Reynolds. 



t Quoted in Bates' 
*^ Battle of Gettysbui^,'' 
page 61. 



t Commanding 1st G>rps. 



Lt.-Col. McFarland^ 

J5ht Pa. 
GjI. Gates, 

20th N.Y.S.M. 
** Col. Dana, 2d Brigade. 
t Brig.-Gen. Rowley, 

3d Div. Jst Corps. 
*t Col. Roy Stone, 2d Brig 
" Col. Wister, 2d Brigade. 
Lt.-Col. Huidefcoper, 

I50th Pa. 
tt Col. Chapman Biddle, 
1st Brigade. 

ft L, 1st N.Y. ArtiUery. 



General S. M. Weld* has a memo- 
randutn that at exactly ten a.m. he 
left the Seminary, bearing a despatch 
sent by General Reynolds to General 
Meade. 

Thus the estimates of time as made 
by the First Division vary from about 
nine to eleven o'clock — two hours. 

General Cutler, in a letter to Gover- 
nor Curtin,t speaks of "the atmos- 
phere being a little thick.'' Whether 
this was the fog of a summer morn- 
ing or the smoke of the cavalry fight 
is not stated. 

The Third Division seems to have 
been the next to arrive. 

General Doubleday^ in his report 
intimates that this division reached 
the field at about two p.m. Eight of 
the reports from the division mention 
time. 

One^ says **at ten-thirty 
** between ten and eleven"; 
"about eleven" ; one*^ says "towards 
eleven"; onc*^ "at eleven"; one *^ at 
"about twelve"; one*li "about noon." 
One^^^ was "within a mile of the town 
about eleven a.m." 

Lieutenant Breck^t says at "about 



; one " 
one at 



I 



eleven/* and Captain Cooper,* *^ about 
twelve/* 

Colonel Alexander Biddle^ reports 
that he ''marched from W. R. White's 
house, Freedom township/* but fixes 
no time of reaching the battlefield. 
The rest seem of opinion that they | 
marched ''about six miles/* Some 
"marched early/* one tv/ice says he 
"marched at eight/* and one marched 
at "about nine-thirty/* So the esti- 
mates of time by the Third Division 
vary from half-past ten o'clock to 
about twelve — a margin of one and j 
one-half hours. 

Next, and last of the First Corps, 
came the Second Division. Six reports 
specify the hour of arrival. Two + 
say at "about eleven**; one^^ "about 
noon** ; three il "about one.** 

Two"* "marched at six a.m./* and 
one*^ at "about eleven** was two 
miles from a stone fence, which the 
context indicates as being on Semi- 
nary Ridge, near the Mummasburg 
road. 

The J 2th Massachusetts Infantry *i 
was near Gettysburg " at ten o*cIock,** 
the regimental record says "reveille at 
four a.m., marched at six.** 



* B, 1st Pa. ArtiUery. 



t J2Ist Pa. 



i Brig.-Gen. Baxter, 

2d Brig. 2d Div. 
CoL Coulter, nth Pa. 
^ Brig.-Gen. Robinson, 

2d Division. 

II Col. Prey, I04th N.Y. 

Lt.-Col. McThompson, 

I07th Pa. 

CoL Wheelock, 97th N.Y. 

'* Lt.-Col. Famham, 

16th Me. 
Lt.-CoL Bachelder. 

I3thMass. 
■ t Capt. Patterson, 88th Pa. 

^t Mass. Adit-Gen. Report 
J863, p. 603. 



5th Me. Battery. 



t 1st Div. 1st CorjK, 

X 26. Brig. Jst Div. 

1st Corps. 

§ J49th Pa. 



Commanding 1st Corps. 



Lieutenant Whittier* arrived "at a 
few minutes past two/' 

Thus the Second Division varies at 
least two hours in its statement of the 
hour of arrival. But General Wads- 
worth ^ says it was "very soon after ^' 
"about ten-fifteen," while General Cut- 
ler ^ thinks it was " two o'clock." 

Lieutenant-Colonel Dwight'^ in his 
report speaks of passing in rear of the 
First and Second Divisions, "which 
were then in position and engaging 
the enemy." If this is not a misprint, 
one can only marvel how he accom- 
plished the feat. 

General Doubleday'l seems of the 
opinion that the Second and Third 
Divisions arrived simultaneously with 
the Eleventh Corps, for he says in his 
report that "Howard's corps was 
already passing through the streets of 
the town, and the remaining divisions 
of the First Corps were almost up." 

The First Corps had marched from 
Marsh Run, not over six miles from 
Gettysburg; the Eleventh Corps had 
marched from Emmittsburg, at least 
four miles farther south, and in a letter 
written on August 7, 1877, General 
Doubleday says that "they lagged 



horribly^ and Howard could not get 
them forward/^ General Howard * 
considers Emmittsburg eleven miles 
from Gettysburg, and fixes the route 
of his Second and Third Divisions as 
covering thirteen miles. He also says 
that the Second Division First Corps 
was in position prior to the arrival of 
any Eleventh Corps troops,^ and that 
his ** infantry marched more slowly/* ^ 
And he did not expect any of his corps 
until "a little after one/*^ General 
Doubleday very distinctly says that 
^* after General Schurz'l had formed 
his division there was a wide interval 
between the two corps," and that he 
^Mirected General Robinson^ . . to 
send one of his brigades there/* It is 
impossible to reconcile the report of 
General Doubleday with the reports 
from Robinson^s division, and General 
Howard flatly contradicts him. 

The Eleventh Corps reports arc the 
next to be considered. 

Though the First Division *+ was 
expected first, it having the shortest 
route, it appears to have been "much 
obstructed all the way by trains and 
artillery carriages,"" and the Third 
Division'^ would seem to have been 



*'' Atlantic Monthly," 
July, 1876, page 53. 



t Ibid, page 55. 
X Ibid, page 56. 

'i Ibid, page 53. 

!| 3d Division Uth Corps. 

** 2d Division 1st G)rps. 



*t Brig.-Gen. Barlow. 



^t" Atlantic Monthly," 
July, 1876, page 53. 

*^ Maj.-Gen. Schurz. 



* Lt.-Col. Dobke, 

45th N.Y. 
tMaj.Wmis, imhN.Y. 



t Maj. Ledig, 75th Pa. 

I Lt.-Col. Bown, 6 1st O. 

II Col. Jacobs, 26th Wis. 
^* Maj.-Gcn. Schurz. 

t I, Jst Ohio Arty. 
*X G, 4th U.S. Arty. 
l Command'g llth Corps. 



3d Division Hth Corps. 



tt 2d Division J Uh Corps. 



tj. Brig.-Gen. Barlow. 

tJ. Col. Harris, 75th Ohio. 
til Maj. Brady, J7th Conn. 
XX Capt. Lutz, I07th Ohio. 



the first troops of the Eleventh Corps 
to deploy north of the town. 

Six reports from this division give 
time of arrival. 

One* "arrived at eleven^*; one+ at 
" about twelve/^ and ** at this time the 
First Corps had commenced to retire ^^; 
one+ says "one-thirty a.m./' which 
must be a misprint; one? "about one- 
thirty"; onei^ "at two p.m/'; one"^ 
"about two p.m." 

Captain Dilger*^ says "about ten"; 
Lieutenant Bancroft *^^ "at eleven." 

General Howard'- says that at 
"about twelve-thirty" "the head of 
column of the Eleventh Corps entered 
the town," and he " ordered Schurz *ll 
to halt." 

General Stein wehr^t reports reach- 
ing Cemetery Hill at " about two," he 
adds "when I arrived the First and 
Third Divisions were engaged." No 
other reports from this division make 
any statement of time. 

Three reports from the First Divis- 
ion ^^ fix the hour of reaching the field. 
One^'' says "about one p.m."; one til 
"between one and two"; and one^^ 
"about two." 



Major Osborne* says that ''about 
eleven a.m/* he ordered Wilkeson^s 
Battery^ to report to General Barlow, 
who " was engaged/^ 

So the Eleventh Corps statements 
vary from about ten to about two. 

Estimates of when the battle ended 
are equally irregular. 

The cavalry demand from "two^* 
to ''several" hours as their share ere 
the infantry came. The First Corps 
range anywhere from "three p.m." + 
to " nearly five p. m." ? And this is 
extended by the Eleventh Corps to 
"after five p.m."^ 

General Hancock^s report says "at 
three p.m. I arrived at Gettysburg," 
and is promptly contradicted by his 
despatch to General Meade, which is 
marked "five-twenty-five p.m." and 
commences " when I arrived here an 
hour since." But as twenty years 
ago** he insisted on the correctness of 
his official report, the despatch must 
be a misprint. He quotes General 
Warren that "at that time the First 
Corps had fallen back pretty badly 
damaged, and what there was of the 
Eleventh Corps was in great confu- 

„;^^ ft 'if 

sion. ' 



* Chief of AftiUery, 

nth Corps. 

t G, 4th U.S. AftiUcry. 



t Col. Coulter, 
Jst Brig. 2d Div. 1st Corps. 
? Gen. Robiflson, 

2d Div. 1st Corps. 

II Gen. Schurz, 

3d Div. i Jth Corps. 



»** ** Galaxy," Dec. 1876, 
page 823. 



t Ibid, page 828. 



3d Corps Army of 
Northern Virginia. 



t Commanding Division 
A. P. HiU's Corps. 

i Tennessee Brigade. 



7th Tennessee Infantry. 



Pegram's Battalion 

Reserve Artillery. 



Mississippi Brigade. 



On the Confederate side General 
A. P. Hill* says that on July I his 
corps was in the vicinity of Cashtown, 
**some eight miles from Gettysburg/* 
that *^at five a.m. Hetht took up the 
line of march/* and " about three miles 
from Gettysburg** Archer*s^ brigade 
"encountered the advance of the 
enemy.** 

Brigadier-General Heth^ repeats this 
and fixes the hour as "nine o*cIock.** 
Lieutenant-Colonel Shepard ^ makes 
the report for Archer*s brigade. He 
fixes no time, but says that General 
Buford*s pickets "gradually fell back 

. . for about three miles/* when 
Archer*s brigade "came in sight of 
the enemy upon a slight eminence . . 
to the right of the road.** Captain 
Brunsonll adds "it was at this time 
and point that Major-General Rey- 
nolds of the Yankee army is reported 
to have been killed.** 

Brigadier-General Davis ** says that 
"about ten-thirty o*clock a line of bat- 
tle was formed/* and he thinks that 
"about one p.m.** was the hour of the 
capture of part of his brigade in the 
railroad cutting, after which General 
Heth says " it was not deemed advis- 
able to bring it again into action.** 



Major Jones* commanding Petti- 
grew^s brigade, says it ** remained in 
line of battle until two p.m., when 
orders to advance were received.^* 

There are no reports from Brocken- 
brough^s brigade. 



26tli N. C. Infantry. 



t A. A. G. Pender's Div. 



t 1 4th S. C. Infantry. 



Major Engelhard ^ reports that Pen- 
der^s division moved ^^at eight ^^ a.m., 
passed through Cashtown, and ^^ about 
three miles from Gettysburg ^^ formed 
in line of battle. 

Colonel Perrin + reports for McGow- 
an^s brigade that it was ** in supporting 
distance of General Heth^s division ^^ 
^^ until about three o^cIock," when it 
advanced ^^ probably a half mile/^ and 
^^ remained in this position probably 
until after four o^clock/^ when it joined 
in the final advance. 

Brigadier-General Lane ^^ seems to ! ? North Carolina Brigade 
have been but slightly engaged until ! 
the close, when his ^^men gave a yelP^ I 
and the First Corps made **a hasty j 
retreat to Cemetery Hill.^^ 

Brigadier-General Thomas ' says 
he was "in readiness to support Gen- 
eral Heth^s division.^^ 

Brigadier-General Scales** reports ** North Carolina Brigade. 
hard fighting, but makes no mention 
of time. 



Georgia Brigade. 



13 



* 2d Corps Army of 

Northern Virginia^ 



t Chief of Artilkry. 



+ North Carolina Brigade. 



? Alabama Brigade. 
II 3d Alabama Infantry. 
** J 2th Alabama Infantry. 

^t 26th Alabama Infantry. 
'i Georgia Brigade. 



4th Georgia Infantry. 
*|| 2Jst Georgia Infantry. 



Rodes* division of Ewell's* corps 
was to the left of A. P. Hill. General 
Lee reports that it came with Carter^s 
artillery at " about two-thirty/* 

Brigadier-General Pendletont thinks 
Carter^s artillery battalion arrived at 
*^ perhaps two o'clock/* 

Major-General Rodes gives a very 
detailed account of his movements, but 
makes no attempt to fix time. 

Brigadier-General Iverson+ was *^in 
the advance of General Rodes* divis- 
ion/* but is silent as to the hour. 

Three reports from 0*NeaI*s^ bri- 
gade fix time. Colonel Battled says 
"the morning**; Colonel Pickens** "at 
eleven**; and Lieutenant-Colonel Good- 
game *t "about twelve.** 

Brigadier-General Doles*^ "formed 
in line of battle about one p.m.** and 
encountered a " cavalry picket/* whose 
position he occupied at "about three- 
thirty p. m./* when he "moved toward 
the Theological College.** He com- 
plains of losing "several men killed 
and wounded** by the fire of "one of 
our own batteries.** Major Willis *^^ 
was "in line of battle (say at twelve 
o*cIock)**; Colonel Mercer*! says it 
was "about four o*cIock/* but he evi- 
dently refers to the last advance of the 



14 



''about 
''about 



brigade, which General Doles says 
was made at " about three-thirty/* 

Brigadier-General Daniels* "arrived 
within two and one-half miles of the 
town about twelve/^ Four reports 
from this brigade mention time. Col- 
onel Brabble^ was in line of battle 
"about two-thirty p.m./^ and "met 
the enemy about four^^; Colonel Lewist 
was in line "two or two and one-half 
miles from Gettysburg*^ at 
one'*; Colonel Owens ^^ says 
one**; and Captain Van Brown i "en 
tered the engagement with the re- 
mainder of the brigade between the 
hours of twelve and one.** 

Brigadier-General Ramseur*s** bri- 
gade was "in rear of the division 
train/* and the last of Rodes* division 
to reach the field. There are four 
reports from this brigade. Captain 
Williams*^ says "about one**; Major 
Lambeth** "about two**; Major Sil- 
lers*^ "early part of the afternoon**; 
and Colonel Grimes *il "about four.** 

Three brigades of Major-General 
Early*s division complete the Confed- 
erate list. 

Major-General Early himself fixes 
no hour. 



North Carolina Brigade. 

t 32d N. C. Infantry. 
t 43d N, C. Infantry. 



?. 53d N. C Infantry. 
II 2d N. C. Battalion. 



North Girolina Brigade 



*t 2d N. C Infantry. 

t J4thN. C Infantry. 

l 30th N. C Infantry, 
*|| 4th N. C Infantry. 



15 



* Louisiana Brigade. 

t Commanding 

Hoke's N. C. Brigade. 

t Georgia Brigade. 



Brigadier-General Hays* says "a 
little after two'* Gordon^s brigade was 
ordered to advance, and in a short 
time he moved to its support. Col- 
onel Godwin t says **at three p.m. the 
order to advance was received." Brig- 
adier-General Gordon^ says *' about 
three p.m. I was ordered to move my 
brigade forward/* 




T would seem a fair 
inference that many of 
& these estimates of time 
j| were guesses and not 
literal statements. The 
frequent use of the qualifying ** about/* 
''toward/* ''a little after/* or **a little 
before/* in itself indicates that there 
was no idea of being held to absolute 
exactness. Yet somewhere amid all 
this variation the truth is hidden. Can 
it be established ? 

In the first place it is clear there 
was no "surprise** on July J, J 863, to 
cither Generals Hill and Heth, or to 
Generals Reynolds and Buford. On 
the Confederate side we have the ex- 



l6 



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3 



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"o 

c 



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a. 







plicit assertion of General Heth that 
on June 30 he *^ ordered Brigadier- 
General Pettigrew to take his brigade 
to Gettysburg/^ and that "Pettigrew 
found a large force of cavalry near 
the town, supported by an infantry 
force/** General Hill says that Heth 
"reported that Pettigrew had encoun- 
tered the enemy at Gettysburg/* t 

On the Union side General Buford 
says that on June 30 he found near 
Fairfield "a considerable force of the 
enemy*s infantry, . . . which proved 
next day to be two Mississippi regi- 
ments and two guns/' He met Petti- 
grew*s brigade "entering the town,** 
and drove it back.^ 

A "RS/* to a despatch from Bu- 
ford to Pleasonton on June 30 says, 
"General Reynolds has been advised 
of all I know,** and at half-past ten 
o*clock that night Buford wrote Rey- 
nolds : 



^I am satisfied that A. P. Hill^s corps is massed }ust 
back of Cashtown, about nine miles from this place. 
Pender^s division of this corps came up to-day, of 
•which I advised you. ... EweS^s corps is crossing 
the mountains from Carlisle, Rodes^ division being at 
Petersburg in advance. Longstreet, from all I can 
learn, is still behind HilL'* 



* Heth's report. 

t A. P. Hill's report. 



t Buford's report. 



17 



A. P. HiU's report. 



t Heth^s report. 



i Philadelphia 
^ Weekly Times^'^ 



S878. 



? See page 12, ante. 



See page 3, ante. 



A. P. Hill says, '*I intended to ad- 
vance the next morning and discover 
what was in my front."* General 
Heth ^'supposed it consisted of cav- 
alry, most probably supported by a 
brigade or two of infantry.**^ The 
report of General Heth is dated Sep- 
tember J 3, J 863, but fifteen years after 
he wrote : 

** I did not have so much as a skirmish with General 
Boford's cavalry or -with any other cavalry. The first 
force of the enemy that I struck was infantry (Rey- 
nolds' corps). ... I opened the battle of Gettysburg — 
stumbled into it — going to Gettysburg to get shoes, not 
to fight.'^t 

One feels tempted to further quote : 

**Of all the preposterous assertions in connection 
with the w^ar, this is the most so that has ever come to 
my knowledge.! 

It is very probable that when Heth's 
division marched from Cashtown ^^at 
five a. m." ^ it advanced cautiously and 
therefore slowly; and as it seems to 
have moved about five miles, it is not 
unlikely that it was ** between eight 
and nine" II a.m. on July I when Heth 
seriously attacked Buford^s line. And 
it is probable there was skirmishing 
at an earlier hour, for General Buford 
declares his purpose to have been *^to 
prevent him (Heth) from getting the 



town before our army could get up/^* 
So that the memoranda referring to 
**a. little after sunrise/^ etc., may all be 
perfectly correct, without violence to 
the reports of General Buford, Colonel 
Gamble, or Lieutenant Calef,+ and still 
not conflict with General Heth^s ^^nine 
o'clockrt 

Next comes a positive statement. 



Bufofd's report. 



t See page 3, ante. 



t See page 12, ante. 



I Headquarters 1st Cavalry Division, 

I Gettysburgjuly J, 1863, 10.10 a.m. 

I The enemy's force (A. P. Hill's) are advancing on 
J me at this point and driving my pickets and skirmish- 
i ers very rapidly. There is also a large force at Heid- 
lersburg that is driving my pickets at that point from 
that direction. General Reynolds is advancing, and is 
within three miles of this point with his leading divis- 
ion. I am positive that the whole of A. P. Hill's force 
is advancing. 

JNO. BUFORD, 
Brigadier-General commanding. 
General Meade, 

Command'ng Army of Potomac. 

General Weld's memorandum^ is 
also positive, and I construe that just 
before ten o'clock General Reynolds 
was near the Seminary, started Weld 
at ten, and himself left to bring up his 
First Division. It is known that Gen- 
eral Reynolds rode rapidly through 
the town to the Seminary and then 
went back to bring Wadsworth's di- 
vision by the shorter cut across the 



See page 6, ante. 



19 



Bates'*' Gettysburg," 
page 60. 



t See page 5, ante. 



t Lt.-CoI. Bachelder, 
13th Mass. Infantry. 



See page 17^ ante. 
Q>I. Hecker, 

82d Illinois Infantry. 



24tli Michigan Infantry. 

*t 6th Wisconsin Infantry. 

*t 7th Wisconsin Infantry. 
'i 76th N.Y. Infantry. 



fields.* So it is very possible that the 
** three miles'* in the despatch may be 
an overestimate, and the First Divis- 
ion First 0>rps reached the field very 
soon after ten-thirty, perhaps as early 
as that. This is later than the major- 
ity claim,t but the time marked on the 
despatch negatives an earlier hour for 
the arrival of Wadsworth's division. 

On the previous afternoon this di- 
vision ** encountered the pickets of the 
enemy/' i but no mention of this is 
in any of its reports. If this was the 
force General Buford found at Fair- 
field^ it seems to have left that town 
about two p.m. on June 30.'l On the 
morning of July \ Wadsworth's divis- 
ion does not appear to have been in 
any hurry until it neared the Semi- 
nary. Then " there was mounting in 
hot haste." Colonel Morrow** says 
he halted to load, but was ordered *^to 
move forward immediately without 
loading." Lieutenant-Colonel Dawes *^ 
took his regiment in at double-quick, 
*^the men loading as they marched." 
Colonel Robinson *t had not halted to 
load," but his men loaded ^^ while on 
the double-quick." Captain Cook*^ 
says his was **the extreme advance 
regiment of the First Corps," and that 



± 



''while marching by the flank was 
opened upon by the enemy.^^ 

Many of the reports — Union and 
Confederate — speak of a lull in the 
engagement, A despatch from Gen- 
eral Wadsworth^ marked twelve-ten, 
reads : 



** I think the enemy arc retiring, and that ■we should 
advance promptly upon them. I am not sure that they 
are not moving round on our right flank, though I do 
not see any indication of it," 



The Third Division seems to have 
reached the field during this luIL The 
report of Lieutenant-Colonel McFar- 
land* reads, ''all firing now ceased 
for perhaps an hour, when about noon 
the enemy opened on our right/^ The 
majority of the reports from the Third 
Division t indicate eleven a.m. as the 
hour of its arrival, and I incline to the 
belief that this was the fact. 

The Second Division also came 
during this lull; it closely followed 
the Third Division. Most of the re- 
ports from the Second Division give 
"about onc^*^ as the time, but the 
Confederate evidence ^^ is against so 
late an hour. I think a study of the 



* ISJst Penna. Infantry. 



t See page 6, ante. 



t See page 7, ante, 
I See page 14, ante. 



* 2d Corps Army of 

Northern Virginia. 
t 2d Division 1st G>rps. 



t Seminary Ridge and 

Mummasburg Road. 
§ Sth Alabama Infantry 
O'Neal's Brigade. 



43d N.C. Infantry- 
Daniel's Brigade. 



** Lt.-CoI. Famham, 

1 6th Me. Infantry. 
Maj. Moffett, 94th NY. Inf. 
Col. Prey, I04th N.Y. Inf. 
*t Lt.-CoI. Bachelder, 

J3th Mass. Infantry. 



n nth Pa. 97th N.Y. Inf. 



Brig.-Gen. Baxter. 



movements of Rodes* * division and of 
Robinson's^ will show that the latter 
must have reached the Seminary very 
soon after eleven o'clock. 

General Rodes formed his division 
at considerable distance from his point 
of attack,* for Colonel Hall ^ says that 
when two miles from Gettysburg the 
** brigade moved one and a half miles 
at a right wheel/' his regiment being 
on the left of the brigade. Lieutenant- 
Colonel Lewis II says his brigade was 
^* drawn up in line of battle about two 
or two and a half miles from Gettys- 
burg." 

While General Rodes was perform- 
ing these long-distance evolutions Rob- 
inson's division reached the Seminary. 
Paul's brigade halted east of the build- 
ing, erected barricades/* and when it 
finally moved to the right, **was sent 
into action by regiments."*^ 

Baxter's brigade went to the west 
of the Seminary. Two regiments ** 
*^ continued their march, moving to 
the front," and formed on right of the 
First Division.*^^ The rest of the bri- 
gade halted, the 1 2th Massachusetts 
Infantry — now the right of the line — 
being west of the Seminary in what is 
now a wide road, but then was a nar- 



I 



to 







» 



s 



^ 

£ 




■1 






^-r 



row lane. In the grove in front some 
pieces of artillery were partially cov- 
ered with branches of trees. General 
Baxter says **in a very few moments'' 
(but I tliink he understates the time) 
the 1 2th Massachusetts Infantry was 
moved norths and, keeping Seminary 
Ridge on its left, marched to the Mum- 
masburg road. Colonel Bates reports 
^^at this time no enemy was visible in 
our immediate front except a line of 
skirmishers/'* and these he dislodged 
by moving one company forward. 
The rest of the regiment lay with 
General Robinson in the hollow, fac- 
ing north and watching proceedings. 

While here a cavalryman rode to 
the front and around a red bam north 
of the Mummasburg road near the 
buildings marked *^W. McLean" on 
the War Department maps. Perhaps 
this was the "Sergeant Ebenezer S. 
Johnson, Jst Maine Cavalry," men- 
tioned in General Robinson's report. 

General Baxter now came to the 
right, and a Confederate skirmish-line 
appeared on Seminary Ridge, to the 
left and rear of the 12th Massachusetts 
Infantry, which, facing west, ascended 
the ridge. EHtring this ascent one 
mant was shot in the arm by a skir- 



Mass, Adj.-Gen. Report, 
1863, page 603. 



t Geo. Bates, G). L 



23 



* Statement of 

Adjt. Chas, G. Vehrum. 



t Mass. Adj.-Gen. Report, 
lt(3, pa^e 603. 



t Iverson's men offered 
no resistance, in fact their 
line was marked by flut- 
tering w^hite Iiandker- 
chiefs, etc. 



mishcr, who — kneeling near where 
our regimental monument now is — 
took deliberate aim. 

Reaching the crest '*the 12th formed 
like a letter L/** part facing the north 
beside the Mummasburg road, and 
part facing west on the ridge. The 
balance of Baxter^s brigade formed on 
our left, the 83d N.Y. being in the 
position credited on the maps to the 
88th Pa. Infantry .t 

Three battle-lines were visible on 
our west front. The nearest surrend- 
ered, and proved to be a large part of 
Iverson^s brigade. The reports credit 
the 12th Mass. with ''a galling flank 
fire** on this brigade, but more than 
half of the regiment joined in the so- 
called " charge.** + 

The 88th Pa. Infantry reports cap- 
turing the colors of the 16th Alabama. 
No such regiment was on the field ; it 
may be a misprint for 26th Alabama, 
0*Nears brigade, which Lieutenant- 
Colonel Goodgame reports would have 
fared better "had they done their duty.** 

I think this shows that at least a 
part of Robinson*s division was in po- 
sition on the right prior to the arrival 
of Rodes* division. The skirmishers 
dislodged by the 12th Mass. may have 



24 



J> 










« 







^f^ 



wtwaaamcammimmanim 



been sharpshooters from the 5th Ala- 
bama,* but as I afterwards found dead 
of the I2th N.C. in that vicinity, I 
think they belonged to Iverson's bri- 
gade, which was **in the advance of 
General Rodes^ division/*^ 

Paulas brigade now formed on the 
ground first occupied by the 12th 
Mass., Baxter^s brigade moving to 
the left to make room for it. 

The reports from Rodes* division 
show some trouble with O^NeaPs bri- 
gade, but the tenor of all is "Veni, 
Vidi, Vid,*' though they admit heavy 
losses in front of the First Corps. 
They also seem to think that Carter's 
artillery battalion accomplished much 
by enfilading Seminary Ridge. None 
of the reports from the First Corps 
complain much about Carter's guns, 
and my own observation suggests 
Captain Dalgetty's criticism on Sir 
Duncan Campbell's cannon: **They 
astonished more by their noise than 
they dismayed by the skaith or dam- 
age which they occasioned." General 
Doles + seems to have had doubts as 
to the efficacy of Carter's fire. 

General Howard says "at about 
twelve-thirty" "the head of column of 



* OTMeal's brigade. 



t Sec page 14, ante. 



t See page H, ante. 



25 



See page 10^ ante. 



t IZih Mass. Infantry. 



t 97th N.Y. Infantry. 



HSthN.Y. Infantry. 



the Eleventh Corps entered the town** 
and he "ordered Schurz to halt.'** 

How long the Third Division halted 
is not known, but it did not appear 
north of the town until after Robin- 
son's division was in position, and 
after the capture of Iverson's brigade. 
General Robinson avers it was "at no 
time less than half a mile in the rear/* 
and the hour of its arrival was prob- 
ably the "about one-thirty** claimed 
by two of its reports.* Two reports 
make it even later — "about two.** 

General Wadsworth says it retired 
"after partially engaging the enemy.** 
Lieutenant-Colonel Bachelder ^ accuses 
it of " giving way before a charge of 
the enemy/* and exposing his flank. 
Colonel Wheelock^ speaks of it as 
"giving way.** 

But the Eleventh Corps reverses the 
story, and accuses the First Corps of 
these very sins. 

General Howard at five p.m. July I 
wrote General Meade : 

** The First Corps fell back when outflanked on its 
left to a stronger position, when the Eleventh G>rps 
was ordered back also to a stronger position.'* 

Lieutenant-Colonel Dobke^^ avers 
"the First Corps on our left gave way 



26 



and exposed our left flank/* Major 
Willis* says he "stood firmly until the 
First Division Second Corps t had 
fallen back toward the town, and the 
First Brigade of our division had dis- 
appeared from the field/' 

General Doles (and General How- 
ard admiringly says he "must have 
been a cool man to see so clearly amid 
the screeching shells and all the hot 
excitement of battle ")i evidently con- 
siders the only resistance he met worth 
mentioning that made by the First 
Division Eleventh Corps. He says 
that after, with the aid of Gordon's 
brigade, he had routed Barlow's divi- 
sion, he moved toward "the Theolog- 
ical College, to the right of Gettysburg, 
where the brigades of Generals Daniel, 
Ramseur, Iverson, and Colonel O'Neal 
were engaged with the enemy/' As 
he advanced, this force — unquestion- 
ably the Second Division First Corps 
— "withdrew from the college hill to 
the railroad/' General Doles then 
moved his brigade "rapidly by the 
left flank," but failed to intercept the 
retreat. General Doles must have oc- 
cupied the ground between Barlow's 
division and the right of the First 
Corps. Where was the Third Divi- 



* n9th N.Y. Infantry. 

t Possibly a misprint for 
2d EHv. ist Q>rps. 



t ** Battles and Leaders of 
the Gvil Wzx" vol. iii, 
page^X). 



27 



* Georgia Brigade. 

t Louisiana Brigade. 

t North Girolina Brigade. 



sion Eleventh Corps at the time Gene- 
ral Doles made these movements ? 

General Ewell tells us: "meantime 
an attempt by the enemy to push a 
column into the interval between Doles 
and O^Neal had been handsomely re- 
pulsed by Doles, who, changing front 
with his two right regiments, took 
them in flank, driving them in disorder 
toward the town/' 

General Early, after driving Bar- 
low's division, **saw farther to the 
right the enemy's force on that part of 
the line falling back and moving in 
comparatively good order on the right 
of the town toward the range of hills 
in the rear/' 

Barlow's division must have moved 
out very soon after Schurz's division 
— perhaps at the same time. General 
Gordon* met **a. most obstinate resist- 
ance," but in conjunction with the 
brigades of Doles,* Hays,t and Hoke,t 
he overpowered and routed Barlow's 
division, which was the last of the 
Eleventh Corps to leave the field. 



28 



Headquarters Ut Givalry Division, 

July U t8^» 3^ P<Jn« 
I am satisfied tliat Longstreet and Hill have nuade a 
junction. A tremendous battle lias been raging since 
930 a. m«t with varying success. At the present mo- 
ment the battle is raging on the road to Cashtown, and 
within short cannon-range of this town. The enemy's 
line is a semicircle on the height from north to west. 
General Reynolds was killed early this morning. In 
my opinion there seems to be no directing person. 

JNO. BUFORD, 
Gen. Pleasonton. Brig.-Gen. of Vols. 

P. S. ^e need help now. 

This is a positive statement of time, 
and tallies with General Hancock's 
report,* as also with the reports from 
Early's division.1^ There were many- 
reasons why General Hancock should 
have been careful to note the time, and 
he says ''it was noted by my chief-of- 
staff and other staff-officers." ^ 

There can be no doubt that three 
p.m. was the hour when the battle 
ended on July I, 1863. 



* See page H, ante. 

t 2d Corps Army of 

Northern Virginia. 



page 823. 



39 



